Football game



1949- F. R. GRAVES 7 2,479,160

FOOTBALL GAME Filed July 5, 1947 2 Sheets-Sheet l Ha. I.

UPPER INDICATOR-BALL IN PLAY LOWER INDICATOR-YARDS TO IN V EN TOR. FRANK R GRAVES ATTORNEY ug- 15, 1 v F. R. GRAVES 2,479,160

FOOTBALL GAME- '2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed July 5, 1947 INVENTOR. FRANKRGRAVES A TTOR/VEY i Patented Aug. 16, 1949 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE FOOTBALL GAME I Frank R. Graves, Rochester,-N. Y. Application July 3, 1947, Serial No. 758,858

3 Claims.

The present invention relates to a game and to apparatus for playing the same, and particularly to a game simulating the outdoor game of football; and to apparatus for playing such a game indoors.

One object of the invention is to provide a game which two or more-persons can readily play with relatively inexpensive equipment andwhich will engender-plays and situations closely resembling those encountered in a regulation game of football, thereby making the game enjoyable not only to regulation football fans but to any players.

Another object of the invention is to provide a game, simulating football, which can be played either as agame'of skill or as a game of chance.

Still another object of'the invention is to provide a gameboard for a football game, which is lined as to yardage like a football field, but which is laid out in such wise as to'keep the playing space within easy reach of two players.

Other objects of the invention'will be apparent hereinafter from the specification and from the recital of the appended'claims.

In the drawings; Fig. 1 is a plan view of a game board con-: structed according to a preferred embodiment of this invention;

Fig. 2 is a plan view. of an auxiliary board adapted to be used with the main' board to keep track of the number of plays and also for determining the moves of the players when the game is being played as a game of chance;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary sectional view through the board of Fig; 1 showing one way in. which the indicating hands of the playing field may be mounted.

The game may be played as a game of chance with a spinner or with dice, or as a game of skill, either with a standard deck of playing cards or with a deck specially made for the purpose.

A simulated football field is used for keeping track of play. This field is marked off in graduations designated as yards, and it is one hundred yards long like an ordinary football field. It differs from the standard football field, however, in that it islaid out in a' circle. The. graduations around one half of the circle are numbered from 1 to 50 and the graduations around the other half of the circle are numbered from 50 to 1. Thus, one half of the circular fieldcorresponds to one half of the playingfield of a standard football gridiron and the other half of thecircular field corresponds to the other half of a standard football gridiron. With this arrangement, both goal lines and. both end zones are at the same end'of the field. 1

The circular layout of the playing board simplifies the playing of the game and keeps it within easy working compass.

The game follows generally the ordinary rules of o tdoor R wan-1W i eiball 1. .1 11? nto.

play, the ofiensive layer has to gain ten yards in four plays or he loses possession of the ball. If a player carries the ball across his opponents goal line, he scores a touchdown which is 6 points. If the defensive player is pushed back over his own goal line, a safety is scored for his opponent which is 2 points. The game is ,divided'into quarters like regulation football, but 24 plays constitute aquarter'when playing the game with either a spinner or "dice, while when a deck of playing cards is used; the quarter ends when all of the cards in the deck have been played, as will be described further hereinafter..=

Referring now to the drawings, B designates a board made of a suitable material, and preferably having the shape of afootball, jon part of which the playing field F is laid out. This field is circular in form; It is'graduated by equi-spaced parallel straight lines I00, which definespaces it]? that are designated as yards for the purpose ofplay.- v

The fieldis divided in the center by a diametrical line llll: "There are fifty-one of the spaces It! on the field. ".One space (the bottom space in Fig. 1) is designated as the Goal lines. The other spaces; denoteyards. They are numbered around the; left hand side :of the field, reading clockwise, 1 to 50 and around the right hand side of the field 50 to 1, the numerals designating the different yards being placed between the concentric circles I02 and H13. Thus, the half of the field at the left of the "line Ill! corresponds to one team's territory in a game of football and the half at the right of line Hll corresponds to the opposing teams territory, the goal lines being at the ends of the respective territories.

' A space designated End zones may be marked off beneath the space, Goal lines, just to carry further the similarity to a regulation football gridiron. If desired, the two halves of the field may be differentlycolored to distinguish them clearly.

Printed on the playing field are various notations such as "Penalty against defense, Penalty against offense, etc., by which the present game may be made to correspondin play'as closely as possible to a regulation gameof football as will be apparent hereinafterL- I Secured in theboardB is a grommet I06 (Fig. 3) On which are rotatably mounted two indicating, hands or pointerslM and I05. The upper indicator Hi5 denotes the position of the ball on the field, while the lower indicator Hi4 denotes the number-of yards to be gained in a given series of four plays. As stated, the ball is put in play on the twenty-six yard line. Thus, at the start of the'game, theindicator I05 is placed opposite the numeral'ZB at the left end side of the playing fieldand the indicator lMjlis moved to register with'the numeral 36 atthe same side of the play- 5 ing field, since, zwhen the ball. is put into play,

-Each playerhas four-rolls in which to gain yards. If he succeeds; he continues to roll until hehas scored a touchdown or fails to' gain 10 yards in four rolls. .When he fails to gain the required distance, the other player takes the dice, and it is now his turn to' try'to gain ten yards in four downs or less. As when the game is played with a spinner,-there are 24 plays to a quarter. Likewlse, the legendsoh the board are followed when thezhand- I05 registers against a space which contains a legend; I

The game may also 'be played with a deck of "cards. This may be a standard deck of 52 playing cards such as used in a gameof poker.

If standard cards are used, th'e black cards,

-namely spades and clubs, indicate gains in yardage whereas the red cards; hearts and diamonds indicate loss in yardage. The cards are valued as follows: I

e Yards King 25 Queen 20 Jack Ten 10 Nine 9 '....L... Y 8 Seven ;s '2 Six '6 Five I 5 Four 4 Three 3 Two s; 2 Ace I..' L..- L 1 The deal may be, determined the toss of a coin or by cuttingsthecards or. in any other way. The winner deals and the other player becomes the player in possession of the ball The game is started as before on the 26yard line withthe vhand I05 registering against the numeral 26 at the offensive players side of the held and. the hand I04 registering against the numeral 36 at ,thi same side of the field. Three cards are dealt to each player, one at a time. The balance of the deck of cardsis placed face down inthe center of thetable. The player inpossession of wise, the opponent will usually play the lowestblack card that he has. If one player has played a black card and the other a red card, the values of the two cards are subtracted from one another. If theblack card is the larger; a gain is scored by the player in possession of the ball. If the red card is thelarger, a 'IOSS'iS'SCOI'Bd.

Let us assume that the first player puts down the queen of spades and the second player the ten of diamonds. The first player gwould'then gain 63 Thus, it four persons are playing the game, one

10yards; and there would he anew firstdown. If the first'player has no black cards, however, and has to play a red card, say the three of hearts, and his opponent lays down the ten of diamonds, then thefirst player loses 13 yards.

If the second player has no red cards, only. black cards, and the first player lays down a queenof clubs and the second player the nine of spades, the first player .wouldscOre a total gain" of 29 ;.yards,; which .would bring-him past the center of 70 yards gained or lost by the offensive.

6 the field to the 45 yard line at theright hand side of the field.

After playing a card, each player draws another card from the pack. Then the players play again. 5 Again the total of the cards laid face up is counted and the pointer I05 shifted accordingly to indicate yards gained or lost. When all of the cards in the deck have been played, that constitutes a quarter. Four quarters are played as in the standard game.

The ace may be used to count as a one yard gain or loss, depending upon whether it is a black or a red ace, or it may be used to count as a loss of ball. In some cases in order to avoid a heavy penalty, for instance, Where the player in possession of theball sees that his move would put him on the 38 yard line which entails a 15 yard penalty, he may use the ace to indicate loss of the ball and so avoid this penalty. This is op tional. It is preferable to determine before the game is started whether the ace shall be used to denote loss of the ball or to count simply as a yard. When the game is played with the aces indicating losses of the ball, the player must call the play, when he lay down an ace, either as a one yard play or as a loss of the ball.

Other than in the respects noted, the game as played with cards is exactly like the game as played with a spinner or with dice. The player in possession of the ball has four plays or downs in which to gain ten yards. If he gains ten yards in four plays orles he has a new series of four plays or downs in which to gain another ten yards. If he fails to'gain the ten yards in four downs his opponent takes possession of the ball, and the "opponent then has to gain ten yards against the first player in four downs. If a play carries pointer I05 to one of the spaces IflL'which bears a legend, the ball, that is, pointer I05, is moved a further distance in "a direction indicated by that legend. If the player carries the ball, that is, moves the pointer I05, across his opponents goal line, he scores six points; then he moves the ball (pointer I05) to his opponent's two yard line, 45' and tries to gain that two yards in one play. If he does, he scores a single point for point after touchdown Whether he gains the single point or -not, possession of the ball change and the oppos ing player now takes possession of the ball on 60 his own 26 yard line with ten yards to gain in four downs. The quarter end when all the cards in the deck have been played. The game is usually played by'two players only. However, it may be played'by any number of 65 players.

Whenjit is played with a spinner or dice by morethan two players, the players play as part- -ners. In' this case one player may spin pointer II2'for one play, and successive plays may be spun by the different players, the right to spin .going to the player next to the left of the player 'who has spun the pointer .on the previous play.

A'pa'rtners'hip game may also be played with the spinner by totaling the spins of all players.

of the offensive players may spin first; then the defensive player to' his left; then the ofiensive partner; and then the defensive partner. The total of black and red spins will then indicate Thus. if the first offensive players spin stops with the "pointer H2 at 9in the black; the first defensive players spin stops with the pointer II2 'at:4= .in 'the red; the second offensive players spin stops 751 at 4 in the red; and't-he second defensive players 7 spin stops. at 2' in the black, the ofiensive will gain 3 yards. 7

When the game is played with dice by partners one player may roll the dice for one play andthen the player to hisv left may roll the dice for the next play; or all players may roll on each play and the totals of the red and black dice thrown by them all may be added to determine the yardage gained or lost on the play.

When the game is played with cards by more than four persons, it is usual for all players to play one card on each play and to use two decks of standard playing cards, dealing three cards to each player to start the game. Partners try to help each other by playing black cards if on the offensive or red cards if on the defensive. The total of the black cards less the total of the red cards played on any round gives the yardage gained or lost.

If the game is played with three players, then it is played as cutthroat, two of the players playing against the one having possession of the ball. This is true for any odd number of players, the other players playing against the one having possession of the ball;

During the game partners can suggest to each other what plays to make, or use signals, but they cannot show their cards. If cards are shown, the player is penalized yards.

Obviously, instead of using a standard deck of playing cards, a deck may be used which has just red and black cards in it and in which all of the cards are marked with numerals. Two black cards may be marked with yards, two with yards and two with yards, substituting thereby for the jack, queen and king of a standard deck. Otherwise the rules remain the same as indicated for a standard deck.

While the game has been described in connection with particular methods of play, it will be understood that different variations of these methods may be employed Without departing from the scope of the invention. It will be understood, too, that the dials, or dice, or cards may be marked in various. ways to suit a desired method of play.

While the invention has been described in connection with play of a game simulating the American game of football, it will be understood, also, that with suitable modifications, the game may be played to simulate Rugby, or to simulate Soccer football. It will further be understood that with suitable modification in the game board and rules of play, my invention may be used for playing any game simulating a contest played on a graduated or ruled field, such as hockey, lacrosse, or polo.

In general, it may be said that while the invention has been described in connection with a particular embodiment thereof, it will be understood that it is capable of further modification,

and this application is intended to cover any variations, uses, or adaptations of the invention following, in general, the principles of the invention and including such departures from the present disclosure as come within known or customary practice in the art to which the invention pertains and as may be applied to the essential features hereinafter set forth and as fall within the scope of the invention or the limits of the ap-' pended claims.

Having thus described my invention what I claim is: l. A game board for a football game having a field of play that is generally circular in. shapeand which is-ezaduztediwlth aplnrallty of Parallel spaces, each or chordally across the circle, thanumber of said-spaces being equal to one half the total number-diseases required for the field of play, space at one end being designated the goaltllnes, and the other spaces being graduated wayfromlsaid' space with numbers of progressively increasing value, denoting yardage-of the field, unto anumber denotinghaif the full yardage oi the field, said. field being divided by a diametral line into two-halves. one half of all the spaces lying at and constitutin one half of the fielfloi play. and the-other half of all the spaces lyingat and constituting the other halfof neidofplay.

2. In combination, a football sameboard having a field of play'that-is generally circular in shape and whichis. graduatedwith a. plurality of parallel spaces, each of which extends chordally across the circle, the space at one end being designated the goal lines, and the other spaces being graduated away from said space with. numbers of progressively increasing value upto a number denoting half the fullyardageof the field, said field being divided by a diametral line, which is. perpendicular to the goal lines, into. two. halves, one half of all the spaces lying at and constituting one half. of the field. at play. and the other half of all .the spaces. lying at and constituting the other half of the fieldof. play,.and a. pair of pointers rotatably mounted centrally of said field and adapted to register with saidgraduations, one of said pointers being used to. designate the position of play and the-other pointer belngusedtodeslghate the yardage to begalned.

3. In combination, a, football game board which is graduated with aplurality of, spaces. to indicate yardage, the number of spaces. constituting half the total required for a field. of play and said spacesbeing divided transversely so that one half of all they spaces represent one half of the field of play and the other half of all the spaces represents the other half oi the field of play, said spaces being graduated progressively from one end to. the, other up to. a number denoting half the full yardage of the. field and in the same direction for both'halve's of the. field so that the two goal lines he at the same end of the field, and a pair of pointers rotatahly mounted centrally of said field and adapted to. register with said .graduations, one of said'pointers being used to designate the position of play and the other pointer being used to designate the yardage to be gained.

R. GRAVES.

REFERENCES CITED The following references. are of record in the file of this patent:

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